T he best argument for why com- panies should support “ban- the-box” laws comes from the
leaders who have given job applicants
with arrest or conviction records a fair
chance at employment.

“In my experience, people with crimi-nal records are often model employees,”says one restaurant executive who employshundreds of workers in Ohio and Florida.“They are frequently the most dedicatedand conscientious. A lot of doors are shutto them, so when someone gives them anopportunity, they make the most of it.”Another executive, the founder of a Den-ver-based telecommunications company,says, “Of all the groups we targeted, [peoplewith criminal records] turned out to be thebest employees, in part because they usuallyhave a desire to create a better life for them-selves … [and] are often highly motivated.”These leaders have learned that open-ing job opportunities to people with crimi-nal histories has actually given their busi-nesses an advantage.

Today, ban-the-box policies are in
effect in half the states—both red and
blue—and in more than 150 cities and
counties around the country. These measures remove the conviction check box
from public-sector job applications and
defer background checks. A number of
jurisdictions have expanded their laws to
cover the private sector as well.

Ban-the-box legislation is common sense.It doesn’t tell you who to hire. It simply helpsensure that you don’t screen out people withrecords en masse. Plus, studies show it works.Research in Durham, N.C., Atlanta and SanFrancisco—all of which have ban-the-boxpolicies in place—shows increased hiring ofpeople with criminal records.Companies that want to demonstratetheir commitment to diversity and socialresponsibility are voluntarily banning thebox. Three hundred companies—includ-ing some of the nation’s most recognizableemployers, such as Google, Facebook,Starbucks, PepsiCo and Xerox—havesigned the Fair Chance Business Pledge, anationwide call-to-action to create oppor-tunities for people impacted by the crimi-nal justice system.Among the leaders of this initiative isthe Johns Hopkins Hospital and HealthSystem, which has a long track record ofemploying people with conviction records.Johns Hopkins executives say banning thebox provides them with a pipeline of tal-ented applicants who typically have lowerturnover rates.Unfortunately, too many employersremain wary of hiring individuals withcriminal backgrounds. The stigma associ-ated with having a criminal history nega-tively impacts employers’ hiring decisionsand lingers for decades. The callback ratedrops by at least half when a person has arecord—which has far-reaching implica-tions for these individuals, and for society,when you consider the following:Seventy million people—nearly 1 in 3U.S. adults—have an arrest or convictionrecord. That shocking number includesa disproportionate number of people ofcolor, reflecting the legacy of a raciallybiased criminal justice system.As we look to solve these dauntingproblems, we must recognize that lock-ing people out of the job market is a mis-take. Employers can’t afford to miss outon the talents and perspectives of millionsof good people who can contribute to adiverse workforce.In the end, not only will our local com-munities benefit from ban-the-box laws,but employers will begin to realize thepotential of this vast, untapped pool ofmen and women who are ready to work.

Michelle Natividad Rodriguez is a
senior staff attorney with the National
Employment Law Project in New York
City and leads fair-chance hiring efforts to
expand job opportunities for people with
arrest and conviction records.